“Willing” Decision
When my counselors at the shelter told me not to so much as mention my husband’s name for four weeks, it was hard. But I reminded myself that if I knew better than they did, I wouldn’t have landed myself there.
I noticed the other women in the program ignored the rule, and spoke of their exes every chance they had. As it turned out, I was the only woman out of the seven of us that did not return to a violent relationship. The fact that I was willing to be coached made all the difference.
We always have a choice - with any coaching resource - to trust or not to trust the advice we’re given.
When you trust the process in this book, it means that for 8 weeks you’ll be all in. It means you’ll see me as your Personal Coach and be coachable.
How a Coach Benefits Us
A Coach invites us to do things we would otherwise not do. She challenges us to do things we believe at first we cannot do. With our Coach we step into a new level of courage, first to trust their lead, then to trust our own inner wisdom.
A Coach calls us to commit, to make a promise to ourselves and keep it. Her main concern is not to make us comfortable, but to move us to a new level on the playing field of life, which is often uncomfortable. She knows that real progress takes commitment and perseverance, and that once achieved, it will bring us to a feel-good place that lasts a lifetime.
I have been coaching people of all ages for the past 25 years, and take my responsibility as your coach very seriously. From the days in my 30s as a weight-loss program lecturer, to having trained over 2,500 people as trainers for my 8 to Great and 8 to Your IdealWeight process, I am excited about getting to coach you now.
The Benefits of a Small Group
If you decide to join the online 8 to Your IdealWeight Community, you’ll be part of a small group of 8-10 under the direction of a Certified 8 to Your IdealWeight Coach and select or be assigned a partner within that group. Your weigh-in will be with the Coach instead of your partner.
The advantages of small group membership are numerous. It brings with it a feeling of normalcy. As you hear the stories of others, you’ll know you are not alone. You’ll share daily encouragements and weekly celebrations. Our Coaches are personally living this program and are as committed as you are to your well-being and success.
In addition to the weekly check-ins with your partner, you’ll also receive:
A day planner/journal
Daily check-ins with your group on Facebook (see below)
Two live Conference Calls each week
Optional 1-on-1 Coaching with your Personal Coach
An optional Alum Facebook page and weekly newsletters for one year following the 8 weeks
More information is available at www.8toyouridealweight.com, or by calling 828-242-9033.
Bottom line: whether I am your only Coach, or you reach out to a Certified Coach and small online group for additional support, your success will depend on your willingness to trust.
The Daily Partner/Small Group Check-in
Each day for these eight weeks, email or text your partner with a Y (Yes) or an N (No) for five accountability goals. To help remember them, they’re in alphabetical order:
F for First meal if you ate breakfast with some protein. N if you did not. There are many on-program breakfasts in the Resource Section of this book.
F for Fitness if you moved more than you did before starting this program. This could be as simple as taking the stairs instead of the elevator or walking around the block after dinner.
F for Food program if you followed the Real Food S.A.A.B. guidelines.
F for Freedom if you released your excess stuff, items such as clothes, household items or old magazines. *
G for sharing 3 new Gratitudes each day with your partner via email, text, FB messaging, phone or in person. (More in High-Way 7).
* In all my years of coaching, I’ve never known someone who wanted to release extra weight that didn’t also need to release excess material things as well.
Remember to share your Y’s and N’s with your partner through email or text every day for these 8 weeks. (In the online class, you’ll share them with your entire small group and coach each day.)
First Meal (Eating Breakfast)
Fitness (Moving Our Bodies)
Food Program (Releasing Sugar Addiction)
Freedom (Release of Excess Stuff)
Gratitude (Sharing 3 New Gratitudes Each Day)
1. Watch the documentaries, “That Sugar Film” and “Fed Up” (the version with narrator Katie Couric). Both are 90 minutes and both can be found on iTunes or Amazon.
2. Clear your cupboards. If your family will prefer to keep off-program foods around, put them on a separate shelf in the refrigerator and in a separate cupboard if possible.
“I always cook for my family on the 8 to Your IdealWeight plan. (I haven’t told them and they haven’t even noticed a difference - 4 months now!) I regularly get comments from my husband like, ‘restaurant quality meal,’ ‘best meal so far,’ and ‘this is my favorite.’ He now has many favorites and I’m so happy about that.”
- Ann S.
For your initial partner sharing, reflect and/or journal answers to these questions. Then discuss your responses with your partner and/or Coach.
1. Start your first call by discovering 3 things you have in common other than that you’re in this program.
2. Where and when do you feel (have you felt) most powerful?
3. When and to whom do you sometimes give your power away?
4. Share your answers to these questions:
How will your testimonial read once you successfully reach your IdealWeight?
How will your IdealLife feel at your IdealWeight?
5. If you’re willing, share your Goodbye letters with each other.
“I can only be loved as much as I allow myself to be known. As long as I hide, if someone says they
